who is this?

Hey y’all! I’m Jana. It’s nice to meet you!

I’m just a small-town Georgia girl (from Fort Valley, aka Peach County) who has been transplanted to the Big City of Atlanta. I’m a very proud graduate of Auburn University and despite my inability to make a plant grow, I have a degree in Horticulture. Yes, stop it with the jokes. I do, in fact, have a tractor degree from the Tractor College.

Anyway, I was married to a cool guy, Jason, for 18 years. We met when I was barely 19 years old. He was 27 and an “old man” with a job and a house! We dated off and on for a few years and got married when I was only 3 weeks out of college in September of 1998. We divorced in 2015, but remain super good friends and he will pop up in my posts sometimes, maybe.

In May of 2003 we were blessed with a son, Charlie, who was practically perfect in every way. Except he wasn’t meant to stay on this Earth. Charlie lived a wonderful 3 weeks and then became infected with late-onset Group B Strep. He spent the next 3 days in the PICU at the local Children’s Hospital. On June 14, 2003, a day before his due date, we said goodbye to him as he joined the ranks as our personal Guardian Angel.

November of 2004 blessed us with Henry. After an anxious pregnancy, a terrible labor and an emergency c-section, he was welcomed into the world by droves of people who loved him and needed him here to help ease the pain of the wounds. He is a fabulously funny, bright, chatty and awesome 9 year old who loves his Mom!

I love just about any kind of music except rap. Unless my child is singing along. Then it’s just straight up funny! The only literary works I really enjoy are ones that are mindless. Preferably chick lit from England. That’s by far my favorite.

I love to cook. I hate the summer. I think people who lie are gross.

I think I’m a cool chick and a groovy mom.

Sharpies are an addiction. Also, I love diamonds. But why wouldn’t I? I’m the daughter of a jeweler. I talk too much on Twitter. I spend too much money at Starbucks.

Hmm… what else?

Oh.

Grab some sweet tea and some pimiento cheese sandwiches,

pull up a lounge chair and enjoy my Thinking Place!

Comments

My angels I am thinking about tonight are Skye, Dakota and Martina. Our triplet grandchildren came to us on July 7th, 2007 and we miss them everyday. Their little sister Joclynn talks to them always.
thanks
Nanna Chris and Mommy Staci

Jana,
I enjoyed the post about drinking and bidding at an auction. But, am very glad I poked around and got around to reading who you are. You sure did manage to share a lot on one page! I am also the mother of one son. I look forward to visiting your thinking place again in the future. Best, Andrea

I just stumbled on your site – and I will go check out Band Back Together. I too am a grieving mom looking for something good to come out of my losses. I started a blog in August hoping that I would come up with something. I am not sure what I am doing but I am just going to write till I figure it out (or run out of things to say). It helps to see other mothers/fathers living their lives after loss. Thank you. Take care.

Thanks for posting my story, and Will’s, on BBT. I have never met anyone IRL or even a Prankster until now that knows much about LOGBS. Thanks for posting about Charlie. It means a ton that you are willing to share him with all of us like this.

Anyway, just…thanks.

I have some other posts that BBT might be able to use. Or, is there are rule about multiple submissions. I guess I’ve never asked.

You can submit as much as you want on BB2G. Your story goes on… (I spent a while reading and reading on your site the other day). I unfortunately have gotten to know several (read: a lot of) families who have lost children to GBS either before birth, resulting in stillbirth, early onset and late onset. It’s a bitch. Hopefully knowledge is power for women now. That’s what we’re hoping by getting our stories out there.

Jana! I came here by way of Jason’s link to your Masters post. And I am so glad I did. I’ve enjoyed catching up with you guys. I cried reading sweet Charlie’s story. I was GBS+ with both boys, and received antibiotics both times. It was always something I thought/worried/pestered my pediatrician about until they were probably a year old. And while I can’t begin to imagine what you’ve been through, I can be completely inspired and awed by you and your strength. And I, too, love Sharpies. Love and hugs–

Thank you for such a sweet note. He IS a source of strength and inspiration to me and I honestly believe he was never supposed to stay here. His eyes were telling. They were wise beyond their days and we even commented about that the day he was born! I’m so glad you found my site! It’s my little slice of the internet! Love to you and Ed!

Hi! Tonight it is really rainy here in South Florida and I started to Google images and pics with my name and stumbled on to your website. Jana’s Thinking Place! I have never done any type of blogginh so if I lack ettiquette in this please let me know what if I do something wrong. Looking forward to exploring your site! Love your logo!